Dark room shade construction



July 21, 1931.

w. DUNN- DARK ROOM SHADE CONSTRUCTION 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fiied Feb. 2'. 1929 m m m m /74/?RY W DUNN,

A TTORNE Y.

July 21, 1931.

H. W. DUNN DARK ROOM SHADE CONSTRUCTION Filed Feb. 2. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Law Mf v nnnnnl nuugmm/n/w/v llllllll Ill-Ill mu D W R m H ATTORNEY.

Patented July 21, 1931 V i 1;; units stares PATENT orF c i Q A RRVY Dunn, ofahdoxtiiflarnw Your: i DARKfnooM (SHADE oonsrnuo'rrou i 7 Application filed'February 2,1929; Serial m3. aim

The invention'has for an object to effect constructed inaccordance With my invention, improvements in shade constructions espe- Withthe front casing partly broken away. cially designed to enable the exclusion of I f Fig. Q isayertical edge View ofthe strucdaylight from a room Which at other times ture. 1 r i a i 5 requires open WiTlClOWS; Itisalso anaim to Fig. 3is'a fragmentaryvertical sectionion present a structure of this kind which will the line 33of Fig.1. i v A I enablethe" ready- Ventilation of the in; Fig.4 is an end yiew of the roller with dows equipped with my invention when the the shade -WOllllCl thereon. i p parts are inf position for the exclusion of Fig. 5 is ahorizontal section midway of light.- Another important object is to prethe frame. r :3 N

sentja novel operating arrangement Where- Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary see-' by proper functioning of the shade may be tional viewot 'one edge portion of thefra-me assured and the shade maintained peculiarly and shade showing the guide clip. r in operative relation to' a cooperating frame Fig. 7 is a fragmentary section on the line and guide'ways." A further important aim 7--7 of Fig.1.

v s i 65 is to :providea novel construction of the Fig.8 is a detail View of the shade "and means for guiding the sh'adeand maintainsticlnand cord connections; V v ing it against displacement by air'currents, Fig. 9 is a cross section of the stick: to the end that such retaining and guide -Therei's illustrated a framing 10 Wl1lCh devices may be readily attached to ordinary may comprise a part of, or may be attached shade material in a practical manner and to, a WincloW'fra-me beings'ubstantially:recwith a minimum ofdithculty. A still further tangularin form Witha clear'openin'g thereobject is to coordinate the guide" members through adapted to be ali'ned with the winattached to the-edge portions of a shadeso doW opening for the passage of light'and air.

that they may be readily rolled upon a spring The frame includes a boxing 11 at the upper v rollerwithout interference-of the guide mempart adapted to enclose a shaderoller 12,; bers with the Winding or unwinding of the Which may havea familiar bracket mounting V shade or damage to material of the shade-by on the side meinberslS ofthe frame. The reason of the superposition: ofthedseveral side members 'l3compr ise deeply channeledguideielelnentsf attached thereto.- f i members '(each havin a removable front A further 'nip'ortantobject' of thefinven hoard 14);and abottom cross'member 15 is tion' i s-to present a unit shade and trame similarly formed. The boxingll is for-med assembly adapted to be attachedfto or inwithanoutlet-slot for the-shade materi'allfi corporatd in any window of 'ordina ry con- Wound upon the roller, the channels'litf off struction so that it may be darkened as rethe sidinembers 'ofthe frame being 'al ned quired. A further important aim-isto pre Wlththe slot. 7 sl'ent operatingmeans-Which will leave the, The channels h the S1619 memhershf t opening ofzthe Window entirely clear when mg r "P' a lr9w i id pf the shade is in open position and which will black i i mlmmlrzeirefitchon'of g cause moyement of the shade 'efiiciently to ap i v d f m W are h R r aparfs c eny oproviceacearance'or $3 29 En v idlstor passageo'fai'r between the sides'ofthe ohan- AddltlOIlfllQb1GGliS, features of invention, groove ofqevglc-h Sidg member T6f the/frame.

and advantages refsldednxithe Construct-19?- there is secured "a metal guide channel mr m- 'alimngeme-nh h- 'fm of P her 17, substantially U-shaped in crossseca W111 r h h understood m h tion with the edges attheopen si'de inturned, g v j and a mp y g so as to provide'a slot 18 materially narrower r Wmg 111 Whl h 1 than the correspondinginterior measurett Fig. 1 is an elevational viewof afiwindoiv. merits of the guidel'f, The slot 18 is'en-- larged at the upper end of the guide, having edge portions longitudinally divergent to the full measurement of the guide, and the front side of the guide 17 is formed with an extension 19 in the form of a tongue forming a continuation of the adjacent edge portion of the slot 18 in the guide, and inclined so as to engage and guide the clips 20 of the shade into the channel, as will be described. It should be noted that the slot from the roller boxing l1 and the corresponding channel guide members of the frame are offset from the axis of the roller so as to facilitate entrance of the shade to the channel of the guide device.

The shade material is customarily of a heavy rubberized fabric, and fixed thereupon on each edge at longitudinally spaced intervals there are guide clips 20 which project laterally beyond the edge of the shade a distance, and each has a T-shaped head thereon adapted to enter the guide 17 and engage across the slot 18 therewithin so as to prevent the clip from being drawn from the guide. Each clip comprises a bifurcated member of sheet metal formed of a single strip of stock bent inwardly upon itself closely adjacent and on each side of the middle of the blank, then bent outwardly at right angles to the underlying portion in close abutting relation, so as to form arms 22 to readily receive the edge of shade material therebetween. These arms are'secured together by a rivet or other means at 23 spaced a distance from the head 21, and still further outward on the arms they are provided with registered openings which receive rivets 24 by which they are secured upon the intervening part of the shade when it is inserted between the arms. The material of the strips is comparatively thin sheet metal so that they do not bulk large, but it is desirable to so space the clips on the shade when securedthereto that the distance between any two of them is more or less than the circumferential measurement on the outer face of the adjacent shade material to thenext preceding clip. 7 V

1 It is alsoimportant to note that theshade material stops short of the guides 17 a distance at least equal to the space between the shade material and the front and rear faces of the channels 13' of the side members 13, and the clips are so arranged on the shade that they will engage to prevent material lateral movement of the shade between the guides 17. If desired, the clips may of course be formed as'members extending entirely across the shade, but it has not been found necessary. By reason of the construction presented, the shade is held medially spaced between the front and rear sides'of the dark channels in the side members of the frame so that air can pass freely around the sides of the shade'when it is closed, effecting thorough ventilation, notwithstanding the fact that the room within the window is completely darkened.

In order to effect certain movement of the shade into closed position, so that neither edge portion will be higher than the other, and thereby liable to admit light, and also in order to effect an even draft on each side of the shade when it is operated, means for moving the shade are provided consisting in a shade stick 25, slightly thicker than the ordinary shade stick, and mounted in each end between suitable cheek plates 26 pulleys 27 and the stick is formed with a longitudinal channel 28 in the upper edge alined with the upper edges of the pulleys. A cord 29 is slidable in the channel, passing downwardly at the outer side of the pulley at each end of the stick. The cheek plates comprise substantially U-shaped members having bight portions located longitudinally outwardly of the ends of the stick. The chan nel 28 may be formed by continuing the cheek plates entirely throughout the length of the stick, with the upper edges of the plates projecting above the'stick, as in Figure 8, or the upper edge of the stickmay be grooved for the purpose. By reason of the fact that the upper part of the loop in the shade material is drawn above the shade stick by the weight of the stick and the draft of the cord thereon complete clearance for the movement ofthe cord freely in the channel is assured.

The cord 29, has one end secured at 30 in the lower left hand corner of the frame closely adjacent the guide 17 within the dark channel 13 of the frame. The other end portion of the cord is extended downwardly from the shade in the opposite dark channel of the frame and passed outwardly through the front side of the frame, a suitable opening 32 being there provided with an escutcheon plate 33 secured to the face of the frame and having a pulley 34; for the cord mounted on a suitable bracket on the inner side of the plate in a vertical plane at right angles to theplate. The bracket 35 fits closely around the pulley at the inner side thereof so as to form a guide for the cord as the cord from the shade enters the pulley groove, preventing displacement of the cord from the pulley. The arrangement of the bights of themembers 26 in a similar relation on the shade stick also assures retention of the cord in proper engagement with the pulleys 27. A cleat 36 is also fixed on the escutcheon plate above the exit opening for the cord, so that the cord may be secured in adjusted positions. Other securing means may be used, however, and it is also contemplated that metal tapes or other flexible members may be used instead of cord and reeling and un-' reeling devices associated therewith instead of requiring hand operation, 1f desired.

Theshade roller 12 is'preferably'a spring is:

roller without dogs engaging the trunnion to check rotation of the roller, so that the roller is always tending to rotate to reel or wind the shade material thereon, and is opposed by the cord 29. By reason of the arrange ment of the cords, shade stick and the connection of the cord on the frame, draft upon the projecting end portion of the cord will cause an equal downward-pull at each side of the shade, so that the heads of the clips will not be caused to bind in the guide, neither side of the shade will be pulled downward excessively, and'distortionof the form of the shade will thus be avoided. It may be readily understood that with a number of clips secured upon the shade material as shown, anything tending to produce more pull at one side than the other would cause the clip portion to pack into the material of the shade and allow the adjacent lower edge of the shade to pull downwardly further than the opposite edge, and in addition the lower body portion of the shade be caused to swing laterally so that the clip devices would bind in the guide. Faulty operation of the shade would result in various other ways, not the least of which is the liability of ingress of light by reason ofone side ofthe shade being higher than the other when the parts are in closed position.

In the operation of the device, it will be readily understood that to lower the shade it is simply necessary to pull upon the cord 29 until the shade is drawn downwardly to the desired extent, when the cord may be secured upon the cleat 36 to hold the shade as adjusted. As the roller unwinds, the clips moving therefrom initially tend to engage the side of the guide channel 18 next the outer side of the window, and as more material is unwound, the clips will engage the inner edges of the channel 18 and the guide tongue 19, so that they will move with certainty into the guide side of the dark channel opposite the point of entrance of the air.

I claim: V v

1. A window-attachable room darkening appliance comprising a frame adapted to be secured over a window opening and having a roller and attached shade mounted thereon,

the sides of the frame comprising spaced front and rear members forming exceedingly deep darkening channels as compared to prior,

shade constructions, substantialedge portions of the-shade being: engaged therein-but spaced fromtheinnermost partsof the-"channels, :and a; roller housing Y forming a a continuation of the darkening ch'annels,'j'means to 1' center the tom of the frame at one side in the darkening channel, and extended upward over the pulley at the adjacent end of the stick, thence longitudinally of the stick and downwardly over the opposite pulley thereon, and in the darkening channel to the bottom of the frame, an opening in the front of the frame opening on the darkening channel at the last mentioned point, and means included thereon operatively associated with said opening to operate the cord and hold it at adjusted positions. V

2. A dark-room window shade structure comprising a frame having a window'opening therethrough, the frame having exceedingly deep darkening channels in the sides thereof as compared to the prior practice in shades, a roller housing included in the frame forming a continuation of the channel, a roller and shade mounted therein positioned to unreel substantially wide edge portions of the shade to the channels, means to operate the shade, guide devices at the sides of the frame located in the channels and having slots much smaller than the'interiors of the channels, and shade centering members carried on the edge portions of the shade constructed to space the shade from the guides and from the sides of thechannels to form ventilating air ways around the shade.

3. A dark room window shade construction comprising. a frame, a roller mounted therein, a shade attached to and adapted to be wound on the roller, said frame having sides formed with channels adapted to, and receiving the edge portions of the shade in light-excluding relation, 'a-closed housing for the roller forming a continuation of the frame and in light-excluding relation to the shade, said frame including also a bottom portion having a deep channeled light-exeluding part to'receive and coact with the lower edge portion of the shade in lightexcludingrelation, and means to operate the.

shade including flexible draft means extending into the lower part of the frame.

4. In a device of the character described, a deep channeland an opaque shade material having an edge portion of substantial width slidable therein, a guide channel at the inner part of the deep channel having a narrow slotin the medial plane of the deep channel, a headed member having its head portion in thefguide chav'nnela'nd ashank portion projeeted outwardly through the slot, said edge portion of the shade being fixed upon the shank spacedrfromrthe guide slot, to center 5 the shadein thedeep channel and space said edge portion similarly from the guide slot. In testimony whereof I aifix my signature,

HARRY W. DUNN. 

